“You know we know the rules,” Hunter said, glancing back to Emery. “You’re safe with us, Chuck.”
“So, you’re with me for training,” I said to Emery. I didn’t miss the subtle grunts that came with that announcement, but it needed to be made. I was team lead. The decision was mine to make, and I wanted her trained right. “Any questions?” Everyone just stared at me. “All right,” I said, clapping my hands and clearing my throat. “Let’s pray so we can get out there.
FOUR
-Emery-
Tucker’s prayer wasn’t just a “thank-you-God, let’s get moving” kind of prayer. It was a prayer straight from his heart. He prayed for each one of us, for the summer, for the campers, for our families back home. For peace, and wisdom, and strength for our tasks. He mentioned my name specifically, thanking God for bringing me to the team. Honestly, it kind of took my breath away. Maybe it was just because I’d never had a guy pray over me like that. Nick definitely never had. I wasn’t sure Nick ever prayed at all. Tucker said amen, and the other guys dispersed, like it was no big deal.
I just stared at him.
“What?” he asked, furrowing his brows.
“Nothing.”
He nodded toward the row of trucks. “I’ll meet you at the third truck. We’ll take a little tour and I’ll explain some stuff as we go. Hey, Mal.” He glanced over my shoulder at Mal.
“Yeah?”
“I wanted to tell you about the water lines in the rec field.”
I headed to the truck, and drew a deep breath, opening my door. The guy named Hunter tapped the tailgate as he passed. “Really good to meet you, Chuck,” he said, grey eyes sparking. He pulled his hat out of his back pocket and set it over his light brown hair. “See you around.”
I nodded. “Hey, thanks. See you.”
He added a mock-salute and went to his own truck.
Scents of leather and dirt melded together as I slid into the passenger side of the cab. I clicked my Chucks together, remembering the day I bought them. The day after I broke up with Nick. He’d never liked my sporty side. Always wanted me in skirts and heels, with nail polish and makeup, thick like Lauren’s. I hated skirts and heels, but I wore them anyway. To make him happy. There was nothing better than seeing his smile when I dressed the way he liked.
But, my Chucks were symbolic. A proclamation to the world of who I really was. I’d worn them every day since I broke things off.
Too bad hearts weren’t as easy to convince as the rest of the world.
The driver door opened, Tucker sliding inside and starting it up. “Sorry about that. Ready for the grand tour?” He tapped the wheel and his mouth hitched in that sideways grin again. I tried not to let it get me where cute smiles always got me, but it got me there anyway.
I mean, he was cute.
Like, a freshman crushing on a senior kind of cute. Admitting it didn’t mean I had to be attracted to him or anything. Maybe I should just focus on the trees. Thousands of them lined the roads and hills around us anyway. I started counting.
“So, first, let’s go to your lodge,” he said, backing out of the maintenance yard.
“What do you need to do in my lodge?” Was he really trying to take me to my lodge? “Uh.” He frowned. “Nothing. You’re just gonna need to get your work boots before we head out.”
“Oh.” My face heated and I pressed my fingertips to the doorframe. “Sorry. I thought . . .”
“So, no.” He shook his head, wincing.
“Right,” I added. “Yeah. No. I get it.”
He chuckled. “Lighten up, Chuck. I’m not that kind of guy.”
“Of course not.” It came out semi-sarcastic, which wasn’t exactly fair, but fair wasn’t my mission. He had the looks and the swagger identical to that kind of a guy. And I knew that kind of guy way too well to just trust that he was being real about it. “Kind of have a hard time believing anything else exists.”
“Well, get used to it.” He slowed to a stop beside my lodge. “I’m going to change your mind about my species by the end of your training.”
“How long is my training?”
“Three weeks.”
I grinned, unbuckling as he stopped. “Good luck with that,” I said, opening my door.
He lifted a brow. “Sounds like you don’t believe me.”
“Looks like I’m not the only one with impeccable observation skills.” I lifted my own brow.
“Yeah. Go get your boots,” he said, eyes crinkling as he shook his head. “We’re on a tight schedule.”
I went to my room, Lauren sitting on her bed, hunched over a sketchbook, gnawing on a piece of licorice.
“Hey, Lauren,” I said.
She glanced up for a second. “Hey. So, you’re with the maintenance guys all summer then?”
“Yup.”
She returned her eyes to her page, shading something in on what looked like some kind of a dress from my angle.
“And, you’re training with Tucker?” she asked.
I nodded. “That’s the plan for now.”
She sighed. “He moves fast. I’d be careful if I were you.”
Frowning, I stooped to lace my boots. “I’m not interested in dating this summer, remember?”
“Uh huh,” she said, all sing-songy, like she didn’t believe me. “That’s why you chose Maintenance then, right? To avoid hot guys?”
“I can’t date.” Hot guys weren’t even on my radar when I requested the Maintenance department. “I’m starting basketball the week after Bridgeport.” Slipping my other boot on, I laced it, and brushed off the guilt I felt for delaying my start at the summer conditioning program my coach recommended so I could come up here. “Sorry to disappoint.”
She glanced out the window, narrowing her eyes. “Is that Tucker’s truck?”
“Yeah.” I pulled my laces tight. “Why?”
She tensed as she returned her attention to her sketch. “Nothing.”
“Okay?”
“Have a good time.” She offered a plastic smile, batting her long lashes at me twice, like that’s what I was waiting for to leave.
This was weird. Whatever her problem was, I didn’t have time to think about it. I headed back out and re-joined Tucker, offering a small smile.
“Let’s get this tour going,” he said, returning it.
-Tucker-
I took Emery on a tour of the lake roads, windows down, the earthen scents of the forest spinning through the air between us, the horizon offering little glimpses of the lake every few miles. Emery was familiar with the roads inside camp, but the outskirts could get confusing if you didn’t know which mile-markers to watch for. We drove around the boundary lines, followed the base of the mountain, and headed back to camp. “You only have to come out here on trail-clearing days. It’s easy to get lost if you’re not careful. It’s all written in your logs though. And you’ll always have a partner or two. It’s a camp rule. Two’s and threes.”
“Meaning?” she asked, squinting as she turned to face me.
“Twos and threes is for safety and smarts. If we’re leaving camp boundaries we always go with a partner. Safety. And if we’re on assignment with a girl after dusk we go with a third party. Smarts.”
“I can appreciate a good rule,” she said, turning back to the road.
That fact was definitely a good thing for a guy trying to keep it straight. She was beautiful enough in a t-shirt and jeans.
“Hopefully guys here stick to rules,” she added, beneath her breath.
I narrowed my gaze. “What?”
She shrugged.
Like a shrug could curb my curiosity. “No. I want to know what made you say that.”
She re-adjusted her sunglasses and traced the edge of the windowsill beside her. “I told you about my dud boyfriend. I spent two years with him and his friends. Twos and threes would be a joke to them.”
“Yeah, well. Prepare yourself for the long-haul, Chuck. I’m making it my mission to undo whatever
that guy did to your view of men.”
“Oh, I’m prepared.” She shot me a cool half-grin.
“Good.” Gravel crunched beneath the wheels as I steered us into the maintenance yard and shut off the engine, hopping out to open her door before she had the chance to protest. I didn’t care how long it took to convince her I was a decent guy. Even better if it took all summer. She was giving me something to take my mind off of home.
She frowned. “What are you doing?”
“My Mama raised me right. A gentleman always opens the door for a lady.”
A drop of guilt landed in the pit of my stomach, but I ignored it. The old Tucker would have been in the same boat as her ex and his friends. Probably would’ve been at that same party in high school, too, doing the same exact thing. I couldn’t blame her for thinking that way.
Not the new Tuck, though.
She ducked her head, grinning. “You’re crazy, Tucker.”
“Yeah, well. Better crazy than boring, right?”
I walked her to the cafeteria, and we split off, planning to meet outside the Snack Shop at six in the morning so I could teach her how to power wash the patio.
I couldn’t help the grin that came at the thought.
Training Emery gave me a nice break from dwelling on my problems, and when thoughts of Mom and the boys being home alone started plaguing me after work, I went for a run around the lake, pushing harder each time I saw their faces.
I rounded the last curve of the lake path at breakneck speed, breaths thundering through my chest when I slowed to a walk before I hit the Boathouse.
Nolan glanced at me from the rental window, hand freezing over the spot on the frame he was scrubbing. He mouthed something to me.
I pulled my earbud out to hear him. “What was that?” I asked, hopping in place, breaths still pounding.
“You look tense, dude.”
Man, I didn’t want my mood to transfer, but I couldn’t shake the guilt for being up here.
His blue eyes narrowed. “What’s up?”
“Just running.”
“Yeah. No kidding. Hey, want to hit the courts later?”
“For sure. After dinner,” I put my ear bud back in. “I’ll meet you out there.”
He gave me the thumbs up and went back to scrubbing, the tips of his shaggy blonde hair sticking out of the bottom of his hat.
Sharing about my personal life wasn’t really up my alley, but we went way back. I should’ve thought better about going past the Boathouse, but it didn’t really matter. He would’ve asked me about it when he got back to our room later anyway.
Basketball sounded like a way better plan.
FIVE
-Emery-
After work, I changed into my basketball gear and headed for the hoops, my new coach’s caution running laps around my mind. He seemed understanding when I called to explain my situation, that I needed a break before I could go all out for basketball. As understanding as he was, there was an undercurrent in his tone. He said he understood if I needed some time off, but he couldn’t guarantee I’d still get my spot if I didn’t return in the same shape as the rest of the team. He wanted me to commit to joining the program in a month. I wasn’t sure that would be enough time. We agreed to touch base in three weeks for my decision.
Pulling two basketballs off the rack, I dribbled up and down the court ten times, a ball in each hand. Next, I hit my shooting drills, first from the base of the key, then the top, then around the perimeter of the three-point line. I kept at it until I made ten in a row from each spot. I moved to the free-throw line, taking a hundred shots, and I ended with more sprints, push ups, lunges, and planks.
Sweat poured down my face, and I couldn’t catch my breath, my legs trembling beneath me the longer I went. Some people would call me psycho, but if legs don’t tremble, and you don’t feel ready to puke, you probably didn’t give it a hundred percent. I couldn’t afford to give any less.
Ready to collapse, I went back to my room and showered before I went down to dinner. I filled my plate and took it upstairs to the staff area, scanning the tables for June, or Lauren. June was in the middle of a conversation with a skinny guy wearing glasses, the front of his dark, side-swept hair tickling the thick frames.
Lauren sat at a table on my left, by herself.
I frowned and made my way over to her. “Hey. Can I sit with you?”
She glanced up from another sketch she was working on, but I couldn’t make it out from where I was standing. “Oh.” She snapped her notebook closed and shrugged. “I guess.”
“I don’t have to,” I said, scanning the room for a different spot.
“No. It’s fine.” She flipped her dark hair and studied me. “So how was your day?”
I took the seat across from her and filled her in on my tour.
She tensed, tracing the edge of her tray.
“What department are you in again?” I asked because her mean girl vibe was flaring, and maybe a change of subject would fix it.
“I’m in the coffee shop,” she said, glancing behind me and back.
I eyed her notebook. “Are you an Art major?”
“I’m between majors right now actually.”
I pulled the buns off my burger and cut it up, adding it to my salad. “Which ones?”
“I was going for business.” She folded her arms across her stomach, eyes tracing the room behind me like she was looking for someone.
Holding back a frown, I studied her again. I didn’t want to judge, but she didn’t look like the business type. She was too . . . trendy?
“You?” she asked.
“I’m majoring in Kinesiology.”
“You’re what?” That caught her attention.
“I want to do something in sports medicine,” I said. “At least, that’s what I’m thinking right now.” I took a bite of my salad. The hamburger would’ve been the better choice, but I had to watch it if I was going to convince coach my regiment here was just as good as his would be there.
“Good luck with that,” Lauren said. “I was a cheerleader in high school. That’s as far as my relationship with sports went.”
“I’ve played basketball since I was six. It kind of has my heart.”
Actually, I didn’t really have a passion besides basketball. Not one that I wanted to live, and eat, and breathe for the rest of my life. At least, if I followed through with my major, the door to the courts would be open beyond my own career. I could be a physical therapist, or a trainer, or maybe I could switch to nutrition. Who knew? All I could say was, if it didn’t involve the game, it wasn’t right for me.
Please let it be basketball, God.
It had been my prayer since my first time dribbling down a court, the feel of sticky leather like a custom fit glove, the sound of the bouncing ball, an echo to my heartbeat.
Lauren studied the room again. “Did Tucker say if he was coming to dinner?”
I shook my head. “He didn’t say anything about his plans.”
She offered another fake smile and stood. “Later.”
“Bye.”
-Tucker-
I grabbed dinner to-go and took it up to the courts to meet Nolan, but I couldn’t eat. My stomach had been turning since my run, my chest constricting the longer I thought about being here, in the awesome mountains, away from the chaos back home. What if Mom needed me home more than the money I was earning?
I tried to shake the thought as I warmed up with a few jump shots. The sky darkened and the overhead lights came on, crickets chirping all around me. I don’t know how long I stayed out there, shooting by myself, when the cafeteria lights went out.
Leave it to Nolan to forget again.
Grabbing my dinner, I went to the guys’ lodge, and into my room. The light was already on, Nolan hunched over his desk, rubbing his temples as he studied a paper.
“Thanks for ditching me,” I said.
He glanced up at me, wincing. “Oh, snap. Basketball.”
> “Yeah. Been down there for an hour.”
“Sorry, dude. Pastor Gregg called me in after work.”
“Are you in trouble?” I sat on my bed and opened the to-go box I brought with me after dinner, forcing myself to eat.
“Ha. No.” He rubbed his chin, the page crinkling as he lifted it off his desk. “Bridgeport San Diego’s looking for a new lead in their Recreation department. They’re kind of scouting me for the position.”
“What? That’s awesome. Are you taking it?” I chewed.
He set the paper down and rubbed his chin, sighing. “It’s tempting.”
“But?”
“I’m trying to figure that part out.” His chair squeaked as he leaned forward, back to rubbing his temples. “They want me to start training this summer.”
“What’s stopping you? Leaving Bridgeport, or leaving Mila?”
He rolled his eyes.
“Don’t play like you’re not into her.”
“She’s taken, dude,” he said. “Besides, we agreed it wouldn’t work a long time ago. And, double-besides, I’m kind of talking to Hannah.”
“Hannah?” I chuckled. “Really?”
He frowned. “What’s wrong with Hannah?”
“Nothing.” I sniffed. “She’s not Mila though.”
“You’re never quitting with the Mi thing, are you?”
I shook my head. “On the outside you guys seem so smart.”
“Nah.” He frowned. “She’s the genius. I’m just her sidekick.”
I took another bite, nodding. “Been that way a long time, Nolan. When are you going to get real about her?”
“She’s my closest friend. There’s nothing more real than besties, right?” He clamped his jaw and scrubbed a hand over his cheek.
“Just keep telling yourself that, buddy.” I could keep going all night, but he was tensing up, which he never did.
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